Yesterday my coordination and brain were ridiculously clumsy in the kitchen.  I was making Paprika-Braised Chicken with Salt Pork and Spinach, with ad hoc tripling, this involved:  Raw chicken liquid all over the floor twice.  Chopping skills not quite as shaky as carrying, but close, “rustic chop” would have been a compliment for the carrots and onions.  Tongs + chicken slipping and sliding about.  Hot oil splatter.  Staring at the braising liquid unsure why it wouldn’t thicken.  Cleaning up (another sloshy mess), I realize, oh yeah, the cornstarch.  Other recipe steps forgotten: drying the chicken, heating the chickpea mush.

So no pictures, see original recipe.  But normally, this is really easy, yummy, and cheap recipe.  Even in the midst of a clumsy streak, it’s still the second two.

Paprika-Braised Chicken with Salt Pork and Spinach

- makes 2 servings -

Ingredients

4 skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and/or drumsticks)
Seasoned flour for dredging [I approximated from this recipe and made extra a couple months ago]
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 oz salt pork, rind removed and finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 14.5-oz can chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon paprika, preferably smoked
5 oz (1/2 block) frozen chopped spinach, thawed [can sub fresh, though frozen seems to help with the thickening]
2 tablespoons corn starch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water [mix mix mix for no clumps!]
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Pat chicken dry and dredge in seasoned flour, dusting off excess. Heat vegetable oil in a large, heavy saucepan over moderate heat, until hot but not smoking. Place chicken pieces skin-side down in hot oil and sear 6-8 minutes, transferring to a plate once skin is golden brown.

2. Discard left-over oil and reduce heat to low. In the same saucepan, cook salt pork until crispy, about 4 minutes. Add carrots and onions, stirring to coat in rendered pork fat, and cook until onion is translucent.

3. Add chicken broth and paprika and deglaze pan by boiling and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. Return chicken to pan, skin-side up, along with any juices that have accumulated on plate. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

4. Add chopped spinach and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Pour in cornstarch-water mixture, stirring to distribute, and cook until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Season to taste.

Chickpea Puree with Crispy Shallots

- makes 2 servings -

Chickpeas aren’t just for hummus. Here’s a 5-minute, 99-cent side dish that’s luscious and unexpected.

Ingredients

For the crispy shallots
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

For the puree
1 15.5-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Make the crispy shallots: Place the shallots in a small saucepan and cover with vegetable oil. On low heat, bring oil to a simmer. Maintain a low, steady heat until shallots are golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain.  [Start this early and be patient.  Which is difficult with hot oil.  I am still working on getting consistent golden browning.]

2. Make the puree: Place the chickpeas, water, olive oil and ground cumin in a food processor or blender. Blend until texture is creamy and uniform, adding more water if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time. Transfer to a saucepan over a low flame and heat through. Season to taste.  [Seasoning to taste may include adding other spices and/or lemon.  It's a bit bland.]

3. Serve puree sprinkled with crispy shallots. If desired, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

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